Brake for cycles or vehicles.



No. 735,113. PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903. J. KELLAND & H. LAWRY.

BRAKE FOR CYCLES 0R VEHICLES.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC]. 17, 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 N0 MODEL.

BATENTED AUG; 4, 1903.

J. KELLAND & LAWRY. BRAKE FOR CYCLES 0R VEHICLES.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC). 17, 1901.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

NO MODELv zfldwyxi j? was hm #42 12214.4. M Wk UNITED STATES PatentedAugust 4, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

BRAKE FOR CYCLES OR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart Of Letters Patent NO. 735,113, dated August 4,1903.

Application filed December 17 1901. Serial No. 86,280. (No model.)

To (0% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN KELLAND, residing at 40 Treville street, andHENRY LAWRY, residing at 101 Old Town street, Plymouth, in the county ofDevon, England, citizens of Great Britain, have invented new and usefulImprovements in and Relating to Brakes for Cycles or Vehicles and forother Purposes, (for which we have applied for patents in Great Britain,No. 10,371, bearing date May 18, 1901; in France, No. 302,283, hearingdate August 23, 1901, and in Germany,bearing date August 22, 1901,) ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the Bowden type of brake, in which a flexibletransmitting member is employed for the connection of the brake-levermechanism with the operating hand-lever, as described in thespecification of the United States Patent No. 609,570, dated August 23,1898; and the invention has for its objectto obviate the necessity ofsecuring any part of the transmitting member to the frame of themachine; to provide a relatively great extent of movement on theoperation of the hand-lever or operating part and in such a manner thatonly a very slight pressure of the hand is required to be exercised; toprovide means for locking the operating handlever or part in anyparticular position, according to the braking effect required; toprovide means for automatically compensating for any irregularities inthe rim of the wheel to which the blocks may be applied, so that nostrain may be imposed upon the wheel while the brake is in operation,and generally to provide a brake simple in construction and effectiveand convenient in operation and particularly applicable for use oncycles and motor-vehicles.

According to the invention the transmitting member between thebrake=lever mechanism and the operating hand-lever is provided in twoparts which may, as is preferable, be arranged one within the other, theextremities being so connected that on the operation of the hand-leverthey shall be separated in opposite directions, thereby efiecting amovement in opposite directions of the opposite extremities of therespective parts of the transmitting member which are connected to thebrake-lever mechanism.

The invention comprises a pawl-and-ratchet device for retaining theoperating hand-lever in its operative position.

The invention also comprises brake-lever mechanism in which the brakelevers or blocks are operated by means of toggle-links which areconnected to opposing parts to which the respective extremities of theparts of the transmitting member are connected, so that thereby on theseparation in opposite directions of the parts of the transmittingmember the toggle-links shall act to force the brake-levers intooperation. This operation is effected under the compression of a springwhich is arranged between the opposite parts to which the toggle-linksare connected, and when the operating hand-leveris released the pressureof this spring suffices to positively withdraw the brake-levers fromtheir operative position.

The invention further comprises constructional features which arehereinafter described as applied in a brake constructed according to theinvention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is an elevation of brake-lever mechanism provided in accordancewith the invention. Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the operatinghand-lever and operating mechanism. Figs. 2 and 2 are viewscorresponding to Figs. 1 and l in which the respective mechanisms are intheir operating positions. Fig. 3 represents in side elevation theoperating hand-lever.- In Fig. 2 the extent of movement of thebrake-levers is slightly exaggerated in order that the operation may themore clearly be apparent.

In carrying the invention into efiect according to one design we employa transmitting memberc a, provided as in the wellknown Bowden brake-thatis to say, of two parts a and a, the one, a, being a central core, whichmay conveniently be formed of strands of wire, and the other, a, a tubeformed of coiled steel wire, in which the coils are quite contiguous,the parts a being inextensible, while the part a is incompressible. Oneextremity of the central core a is fixed within a cam-plate I), whilethe associated extremity of the outer tubular part a is carried withinand abuts against an opposing ICO ' lever.

cam-plate c, and between these two camplates b and c an operatinghand-lever (Z is pivoted in such a manner that upon being pressed in onedirection the opposing camplates Z) and c are separated, as illustratedin Fig. 2. The operating hand-lever (Z is mounted so as to pivot on thepin g in a bracket e, which is secured to the handlebar by any suitableconvenient means, and this bracket e may be bifurcated, so as'to permitthe central core a of the transmitting member to pass between, as wellas a stem 0 for guiding the cam-plate c. The stem 0 may fit closelywithin the central recess provided in the bracket e and may be retainedin position so as to slide horizontally by such means as pins 6 asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Upon the edges 6' of the bifurcatedbracket 6 teeth are preferably formed, with which a pawl f, mountedwithin the hand-lever, may engage, so as to hold the lever in anyposition in which it may be placed, so as thereby to maintain the brakecontinuously in action without the necessity of continuously holding thehand upon the The pawl may be so arranged that it may be convenientlyreleased by the thumb or forefinger, and means may be provided, such asa springf, for applying pressure to its forward extremity, by means ofwhich the pawl f may be automatically set in gear with the teeth on theoperation of the lever d.

It is preferred to so arrange the cam-plate Z), to which the centralcore a is secured, that on theoperation of the hand-lever cZ its upperor outer extremity shall be forced outwardly upon its opposite edge I)as a fulcrum. It will be understood that on the depression of the leverd the lateral extensions (Z (Z cause the separation of the cam-plates band c, as illustrated in Fig. 2, thereby effecting-a correspondingmovement of the opposite extremities of the transmitting member a a tooperate the brake-lever mechanism,

and that the pawl funtil it is released retains the lever d in itsoperative position. The cam-plate 0 thus forces backwardly the part a ofthe transmission member, while the cam-plate 1) draws forward the part athereof.

The opposite extremities of the respective parts of the transmittingmember a a are connected to opposing bosses h h of the brakelevermechanism, whose movement toward each other effects the operation of thebrakelevers. These opposing bosses h h are provided with lateral lugs t'2', by which they are respectively connected to toggle-links j 7' and 7c70, the opposite extremity of each of the toggle-links on each sidebeing pivotally secured to the extremity of one of the two brake-leversZ Z employed, and the brake-levers Z Z in turn are pivotally mounted atn. and n upon a carrying-plate m, which is secured, by means of clipsbehind the plate at at m m to the frame of the machine. The central corea passes through to the lower boss h, which may be provided with a slot0, through which the core may be introduced or withdrawn for renewal orrepair, and the extremity of the core may conveniently be formedconical, with a protruding head a by means of which its extremity may befixedly retained. The opposing boss h may also be provided with a slot 0for the same purpose. A socket n is screwed within the opposing boss,which socket may conveniently be provided with a nut-head. The socketpserves as an abutment for the outer tubular part a of the transmittingmember. It will be understood that a socket 19 thus provided permits ofthe adjustment necessary to render the brake perfectly effective, andsuch a socket or similar means may be provided on the operating part ofthe brake, as well as on the opposite boss h of the brake-levermechanism. A lock-nut q may be provided upon thescrewed socket 19, sothat it may be firmly secured in its adjusted position. Similarly thesocket 1) may be provided with a slot as well as the lock-nut, so as topermit of the central core being introduced or removed, as may berequired. Between the opposing bossesh and h a spiral spring r isarranged of sufftcient strength to return the brake-levers Z Z to theirdisengaged position after the operating-lever d is released.

It will be understood that on the operation of the hand-lever (Z thecam-plates b and c are separated, and thereby the extremities of therespective parts a and a of the transmitting member are separated onefrom the other, and that this movement is communicated to the oppositebosses h h of the brake-lever mechanism, whereby the brake-levers Z Zareoperated. On the release of the hand-lever d the spring 0", providedbetween the opposing bosses 71 h of the brake-lever mechanism, effectsthe return of the brake-levers ZZto their normal position.

The invention is not limited to the actual detailed constructionhereinbefore specifically described, as modifications may be made, forexample, in the manner of mounting the extremities of the respectiveparts of the transmitting member without departing from the essentialfeatures of the invention as hereinbefore specified. It would bepossible according to the invention to employ two or more brake-levermechanisms, for example, on the respective road-wheels of a bicycle withone operating hand-lever, the extremities of the respective parts of thetwo transmitting members being connected to the same cam-plates.

It will be understood that in the brake hereinbefore described the partsa and a of the transmitting member are respectively in tension andcompression when the brake is operated; but it is obvious that thearrangement might be modified so that the part a would be in compressionand the part a in tension. This would necessitate the connectionof theextremities of the respective parts of the transmitting member to thecam-plates IIO of the operating mechanism and to the bosses of thebrake-lever mechanism, so that the thrust might be communicated toand'applied by the part a and that a pull might be exercised upon and bythe part c.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. In a wheel-brake in combination, a transmission member, saidtransmission member being constituted of two associated elements, anoperating device for said brake, movable parts separated by the movementof said operating device, to which parts the adjacent extremities ofsaid elements are respectively connected, and brake mechanism to whichthe opposite ends of the elements of the said transmitting member areconnected, said brake mechanism being operated on the movement of theopposite extremities of said elements to those connected to and movableby the operating device, substantially as described.

2. In a wheel-brake in combination, a transmission member, saidtransmission member being constituted of two associated elements, anoperating device for said brake, movable parts separated by the movementof said operating device, to which parts the adjacent extremities ofsaid elements are respectively connected, and brake mechanism, twomovable parts in said brake mechanism to which the opposite and adjacentends of the elements of the said transmission member are connected, saidbrake mechanism being operated on the movement of the oppositeextremities of said elements connected to the movable parts of saidbrake mechanism, substantially as described.

3. In a wheel-brake in combination, a tlexible transmission member, saidtransmission member being constituted of two associated elements, anoperating device for said brake, movable parts separated by the movementof said operating device, to which parts the adjacent extremities ofsaid elements are respectively connected, and brake mechanism to whichthe opposite end of the elements of the said transmission member areconnected, said brake mechanism being operated on the movement of theopposite extremities of said elements to those connected to and movableby the operating device, substantially as described.

4. In a wheel-brake in combination, a transmission member, saidtransmission member being constituted of two associated elements, anoperating device, cam-plates on said device, said cam-plates beingseparated by the movement of said operating device, to which cam-platesthe adjacent extremities of said elements are respectively connected,and brake mechanism to which the opposite end of the elements of thesaid transmission member are connected, said brake mechanism beingoperated on the movement of the opposite extremities of said elements tothose connected to and movable by the operating device, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a wheel-brake in combination, a transmission member beingconstituted of a flexible inextensible core, and a flexibleincompressible tube, an operating device, movable parts separated by themovement of said 0 9- erating device, to which parts the adjacentextremities of the core and tube are respectively connected, and brakemechanism to which the opposite ends of the said core and tube areconnected, said brake mechanism being operated on the relative movementof the opposite extremities of the said core and tube to those connectedto and movable by the operating device, substantially as described.

6. In awheel-brake in combination,a transmission member, saidtransmission member being constituted of two associated elements, anoperating device, consisting of an operating hand-lever, a bracketcarrying said lever, sliding cam-plates within said bracket, saidcam-plates being movable in opposite directions on the operation of thesaid hand-lever, the elements of the transmission member be ingrespectively connected to the said camplates, and brake mechanism towhich the opposite ends of the elements of the said transmission memberare connected, said brake mechanism being operated on the movement ofthe opposite extremities of the said elements to those connected to andmovable by the operating device, substantially as described.

7. In a Wheel-brake in combination,a transmission member, saidtransmission member being constituted of two associated elements, anoperating device for said brake, movable parts separated by the movementof said operating device, to which parts the adjacent extremities ofsaid elements are respectively connected, a pawl-and-ratchet device formaintaining the operating device in fixed position, and brake mechanismto which the opposite end of the elements of the said transmissionmember are connected, said brake mechanism being operated on themovement of the opposite extremities of said elements to those connectedto and movable by the operating device, substantially as described.

8. In a wheel-brake in combination, a transmission member, saidtransmission member being constituted of two associated elements, anoperating device consisting of an operating hand-lever, a bracketcarrying said lever, sliding cam-plates within said bracket, saidcam-plates being movable in opposite directions on the operation of thesaid hand-lever, a pawl-and-ratchet device for holding the operatinghand-leverin fixed position, the elements of the transmission memberbeing respectively connected to the said cam-plates, and brake mechanismto which the opposite ends of the elements of the said transmissionmember are connected, said brake mechanism being operated on themovement of the opposite extremities of the said elements to thoseconnected to and movable by the operating device, substantially asdescribed.

9. In a wheel-brake in combination, a transmission member, saidtransmission member being constituted of two associated elements, anoperating device consisting of a hand-lever, a bracket carrying saidlever, sliding cam-plates within said bracket, one of said cam-plateshaving a tail sliding within the other, the said cam-plates beingmovable in opposite directions on the operation of the said hand-lever,the elements of the transmission member being respectively connected tothe said cam-plates, and brake mechanism JOHN KELLAND. HENRY LAWRY.

Witnesses:

J OHN HUGHES, JOHN JOLLY STEPHENS.

